Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hundred Days Offensive |
|---|
| Amiens – 2nd Somme – Arras – Havrincourt – St.-Mihiel – Epéhy – Hindenburg Line – Meuse-Argonne – Courtai – Selle – 2nd Sambre |
During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River. It was a counter-offensive in response to the German Offensive during the spring, after a pause for redeployment and re-supply.
The most significant feature of the 1918 Somme battles was that with the first Battle of the Somme of 1918's having halted what had begun as an overwhelming German offensive, the second formed the central part of the Allies' advance to the Armistice of November 11.
The second battle began on August 21 with the opening of the Battle of Bapaume to the north of the river itself. That developed into an advance on a broad front, about 40 miles wide, from south of Douai to La Fère, south of Saint-Quentin, Aisne.
One of the epic battles of the whole war was the breach of the Hindenburg Line at the Battle of the St Quentin Canal, later in September. On the way, the earthworks of the incomplete Canal du Nord and the defences of Péronne were overcome.
A key part of the German supply line ran parallel with the front. This second 1918 battle around the Somme was part of a strategy designed to push parts of the German line back behind this main supply line so cutting it and making the efficient maintenance of the German forces on the front, impossible. The Campaign began with battle of Bapaume and, starting shortly after, the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, outside the Somme area, with the aim of reducing salients before using the fluidity of the broken line to press on to the strategic railway. It was hoped that this fluidity would be present as, owing to the German advance in the spring, the German forces were well in advance of their hitherto impregnable, very well prepared defences on the Hindenburg Line.
This policy worked but it took some very determined work at the St Quentin Canal, among the prepared defences, to achieve success.ko:2차 솜므 전투
